A first in the history of The Three Graces...an authentic piece of jewelry from the legendary Louis Comfort Tiffany.

It is common to confuse Louis Comfort Tiffany with Tiffany & Co. Yes, he was part of the same family, as Louis was the son of the founder, Charles Lewis Tiffany. Yet LCT as we will mostly refer to him from now on, originally went down his own path and formed The Tiffany Glass & Decorating Co.

More avant guard and daring, he explored the use of less traditional materials, semi-precious gemstones, and often with the basis of design grounded firmly in the natural world. His techniques for breathtaking leaded stained and Favrille glass were revolutionary.

He became artistic director of Tiffany & Co. at his father's death in 1902 and thus became more involved with the design of jewelry. His pieces are rare, and even more so for his jewelry, and many reside in the finest museums in the world such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

We are excited and pleased to present a rare and special Louis Comfort Tiffany zircon brooch of gold. One of the LCT's signature jewelry motifs was the use of small circlets of gold, often inside other ovals. Open-work gold, sometimes with the addition of enamels (another form of glass.), was employed as frames for more unusual gemstones such as this amazing zircon.

All hand made, the frame curves downward toward the edges and has his archetypal gold circlets to the outer perimeter, with the addition of eight gold orbs. The inner frame places rounded, parallel "coils" and a bezel to hold the gemstone.

Just as an artwork can be enhanced by its decorative frame, the zircon is enlivened by its border. In addition, you can see the influence of LCT's early career and studies as an artist for this gem is treated as the painting within its gilded cage.

Alive with light and color, the zircon measures 11 x 12 mm and has an estimated weight of 11.5 carats. Its hues are peach, bronze and late day sunlight. The cut is singular, no ordinary step cut, and the faceting brings out the high refractive index (equates to sparkle factor) of the zircon.

The brooch is signed, Tiffany & Co. and is typical. Similar examples can be researched in former auction results for houses such as Christie's and Sotheby's, and three photographs at the end after the zircon brooch are provided for reference, many ranging in price from $15,000 to $25,000. Exceptionally rare.